The European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee (IMCO) voted on 13 July on amendments to the Fertiliser Regulation and suggested it be expanded to open the European market to more innovative products such as organic fertilisers and compost.
As part of the EU’s planned transition to circular agriculture, the European Commission in March 2016 put forward a legislative proposal for the revision of the 2003 Fertiliser Regulation. In an effort to reduce waste, energy consumption and environmental damage, the Commission’s proposal aims to open the door to more innovative fertilising products.
Until now, the regulation was narrowly focused on mineral fertilisers – mainly phosphates – which are imported from outside Europe. This leaves many new types of organic and waste-based fertilisers outside of its scope, and therefore without access to the EU single market. The new regulation could cut the EU’s phosphate imports by a third, from six million tonnes per year to four million, according to Commission estimates.
Source: Euractiv
